


The King in His Castle

by The_Plaid_Slytherin



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, King Stannis, M/M, Stannis Baratheon Wins the Battle of the Blackwater
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-27 05:10:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17760389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Plaid_Slytherin/pseuds/The_Plaid_Slytherin
Summary: Stannis is comfortable - perhaps too comfortable.





	The King in His Castle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greygerbil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greygerbil/gifts).



Stannis was not accustomed to being happy, nor was he accustomed to his younger brother doing as filial duty compelled him, but that was exactly what he had done. Stannis rested his palms on the warm stone of the Red Keep as he watched the repairs taking place below. It was a rather monumental contemplation, to think that he at last had what was his, that for once in his life, things had gone as he'd wanted them to.

It almost made him smile. Almost. 

"What's wrong, Stannis?"

Stannis was startled out his reverie by Renly coming toward him. 

"Nothing," he said, meaning it. 

"Ah," Renly paused beside him as they looked out at the workers below. The near-destruction of his castle had been a palatable price to pay to rid it of Lannisters and he could now have things repaired exactly to his specifications. "I was worried because you were smiling."

Stannis rolled his eyes and forced himself to stop, but then he saw Davos crossing the courtyard towards them and his lips twitched upward again, totally without his leave. 

"Ah, I should have known who was making you do that." 

Stannis scowled and turned away from the ramparts. "Gloating is unbecoming."

"I'm not gloating. I'd be gloating if I reminded you that I was the one who told you he was obviously in love with you and that you'd best do something or miss your chance. I'd be gloating if I reminded you that when you finally worked up the courage to tell him how you felt—on my advice—you were both deliriously happy. That would be gloating."

Stannis could not even be horrendously ashamed that his younger brother had been the orchestrator of his first kiss, so grateful was he for Renly's advice in wooing Davos.

"And I know you have more respect for your older brother than to ever do that." 

Renly grinned as the door to the battlements opened. 

"Good afternoon, Your Grace." Davos bowed. "Lord Renly." 

"I'll leave you two alone." Renly made to step away.

"Renly!" Stannis felt himself go red. 

"I require only a moment of the king's time, my lord," Davos said breezily, as though he had no idea why Renly might leave. "Just to say that the builder has informed me the royal apartments are ready for His Grace's use."

"Good," Stannis said, "we shall occupy them tonight." He ignored Renly's leer. "Has everything been prepared?"

Davos nodded. "I saw to it myself, sire."

Stannis' mouth curved into another smile. "Then I will be in residence this evening."

**

He had been able to act composed and smooth in front of Davos but once alone, Stannis was a bundle of nerves. He hoped Davos would join him the entire night. They had not yet attempted it, but he was eager to make that the routine. He could just envision what a pleasure it would be to awaken with Davos at his side, to be with him through the whole night, not just parting before they took their second sleeps alone. 

By the time Davos arrived, he had fallen into a nervous pacing. 

At least his new bedchamber was comfortable. Davos had taken his cues from Stannis' bedchamber at Dragonstone and had ordered dark blue hangings for the bed and one corner which was entirely bookshelves. He was admiring these when Davos entered.

"I thought you would like that, sire," he said, smiling. "I rather liked the window seat." 

Stannis had not noticed this before, nearly concealed as it was by the bookcases. It was the perfect size for two people to sit to read, especially if one of them was of slight build and they did not mind being especially close. 

"You did a fine job." He bent to kiss Davos, pleased that this pleasurable act could now be a regular occurrence. Davos made a noise of contentment and deepened the kiss, twining his fingers into what was left of Stannis' hair. 

He was very near to simply sweeping Davos into his arms and carrying him to the bed, but there was one matter that rated his attention first. 

"Where did this tapestry come from?"

Davos paled. The hanging in question was beside the bed and Stannis had puzzled over it, as the others had been sent from Storm's End or Dragonstone and were things Stannis had known all his life.

"A gift from Lord Renly, Your Grace." 

It did not escape Stannis' notice that Renly's gift included an image of himself, aged six, looking on as the woven image of Davos stood before the woven image of Stannis and presented him with the gift of an onion. 

"If one knew no better one might take it for a wedding," Stannis said. 

"I… had noticed that." 

Davos slipped his arm through Stannis' and rested his head on his shoulder. "Does it bother you?"

Stannis captured Davos' lips in another kiss. "Not at all."

And he didn't. Certainly if Robert had hung tapestries glorifying himself (and he had), Stannis would have found it foolish, but a thoughtful gift was rather different. 

"Davos," he said, breaking their kiss.

"Yes, sire?" His arms were around Stannis' neck and his brown eyes were dark with desire in the moonlight spilling in through the window. 

"I want you to consider this bedchamber as your own." He ghosted his hands down Davos' back, pleased to make him shiver. "I want it to be ours. Davos, will you—" The request died on his lips; he could not make himself say the words, but looking into Davos' eyes seemed to spur him forward. "Davos, will you stay at my side, and be mine as I am yours?"

Davos’ mouth curved into a slow, satisfied smile. "Of course, Stannis."

To hear Davos say his name made him shiver. He pulled him close, letting out a breath of relief as Davos squeezed him back. How foolish that he, king secure on the Iron Throne, should have been nervous about asking his lover to occupy his bedchamber. 

"There is one thing I did not investigate," Davos murmured in his ear.

"What was that, Davos?" 

Davos' eyes had a wicked gleam in them that sent the heat rushing straight downward. "The bed."

At that remark, Stannis did exactly what he'd intended to do when Davos had entered the room. He scooped him into his arms as smoothly as he could without practice and carried him over to the bed. Davos was his usual calm, impassive self, but Stannis could tell he was pleased, for as soon as Stannis had lain him on the bed, Davos pulled him down on top of him rather forcefully and saw immediately to the removal of his trousers. 

**

Stannis woke abruptly after his first sleep as he often did. Davos was tucked comfortably into his side and he watched him for a while, pleased that they would pass whole nights in this fashion.

He carefully extracted himself from Davos' embrace, careful not to wake him. Usually in this time, he would read until Davos woke, but right now, he wanted to stretch his legs. The night was not too cold to be out but it held the promise of winter not far off. 

No one took notice of the king passing them in the still night. 

Except one person.

"Fancy seeing you sneaking about at night. I thought you had a place to stow your lover?" 

Stannis snorted at Renly's attempt to be shocking. "I saw the tapestry."

Renly grinned. "I told the weavers to give you lots of hair."

Stannis could not stop himself from running a hand over his head. He had noticed his woven self had been depicted with longer and thicker hair than he'd possessed, even at nineteen.

It was an odd moment as Stannis stood across from his little brother, perhaps the first time he'd truly seen him as an adult, an equal. 

"We liked it."

"I had a feeling you would."

Stannis had to smile. No further comment came to mind. "Thank you, Renly."

And he climbed his way back up to the king's bedchamber and his lover who waited there for him.


End file.
